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Mel Tilson
Mel Tilson was a citizen of Haven who later joined the New American Republic under Judge George Ramsey. Tilson had grown up on a ranch before becoming a shoes salesman. After the Chimera invaded the United States, TIlson lived in Haven with his wife, he was part of Tig Kosmo's defense force. One time when station in the watchtower overlooking the settlement, Tilson watched as twenty-one New American Republic (N.A.R.) Regulators under the leadership of Tom Hunter arrived offering a chance for Haven to join the N.A.R.. Hunter's arrival sparked discussion and from this Tilson found out that the Republic had obtained four-thousand doses of the Hale Vaccine from a recent seige of Freedom Base One. Most of Haven's high-positioned townsmen, including Mayor Terri Locke and Frank Potter opposed joining the Republic, feeling that Judge Ramsey was a warlord and Haven would lose many rights by joining the N.A.R.. Tilson, on the other hand, led opposition for joining the N.A.R., he argued that joining the Republic would guarantee their safety, especially when they all had been innoculated with the Hale Vaccine, which rendered Spinner bites useless. Haven's townspeople voted on whether to join the N.A.R. and the decision was rejected by ninety-one to forty-seven. This annoyed Tilson, who thought that the decision would mean that they would also have to fight the N.A.R. as well as the Chimera. The following morning he set out to contact the N.A.R.. Tilson had heard from the exiled Roger Shaw that the N.A.R. was a dictatorship and Judge Ramsey was a cruel power-hungry ma, however, Tilson went to see the Republic with his own eyes and to make his own decisions on it. During the trip, Tilson was tracked down and attacked by three Hunter Drones. Fortunately for him, Tom Hunter was in the area and saved him. Hunter believed that Tilson had come that way to tell the N.A.R. that Haven had agreed to join the Republic, however, Tilson informed him that the town had declined the offer. Upon hearing that Tilson desired to speak to Judge George Ramsey, Hunter took Tilson to Tunnel-Through. Upon arriving in Tunnel-Through, Tilson was awed over how well-fed the citizens looked, he noted that there were more settlers here than in Haven and the place had a purposeful feel and was much warmer. Tilson was also impressed by Tunnel-Through's generator and the access to electricity that the citizens had. Hunter managed to arrange Tilson with a meeting with Judge Ramsey in which Tilson was fooled into believing that the Judge was a pleasant man. Judge Ramsey talked Tilson into becoming part of a message drop for the N.A.R. on Haven's activities, Ramsey offered Tilson leadership of Haven when the settlement would decide to become part of the N.A.R., a decision Ramsey thought was inevitable. Tilson agreed to spy on his community for the Judge and so he and his family were rewarded with innoculation for his treachery. When the citizens of Haven, had discovered coordinations for a crashed VTOL loaded with weapons. On January 3rd, 1954, Tilson was part of the delegation sent into the Osage Nation's Reservation to retrieve the shipment. Prior to entering the reservation, Tilson debated with other councillors on how to divide the shipment. Tilson had felt that as the citizens of Haven had found the coordinates and if they were lucky enough to discover the shipment in tact then they should get a 90-10, 80-20 or 70-30 per cent share of the weapons, especially since he felt that Haven still needed defending. The majority of the council felt that they needed to enter an alliance with the Osage Nation and so decided to split the weapon shipment 50-50. As the delegation along with Osage warrior guides set up camp for the night, Tilson busied himeslf by asking the warriors questions about where they lived and how large their tribes was, all of this information would have been useful to Judge Ramsey if the Osage Nation turned against the N.A.R.. The next morning, the delegation found the downed VTOL and the large weapon stash it contained. Tilson decided to turn the plane's navigation system on, this was because one settlement in the Republic, Shipdown was a downed Chimeran Battleship which had an active radar which could pick out any aircraft and therefore the N.A.R. would be able to pinpoint the VTOLs location and its weapon stash immediately. Unfortunately, if a downed Battleship could detect the aircraft, so could the active Chimeran Fleet, a Death Squad Chimeran Dropship arrived from the West and the delegation had to use part of the weapon stash to destroy them with minimal casualties. On January 11th, Tilson attended a meeting between Haven citizens and the United States Armed Forces, under the leadership of Captain Marvin Kawecki. Tilson was disconcerted with the news that Haven, which had always been defensive, was now planning an offensive against the N.A.R. at Tunnel-Through. Whilst Haven and the U.S. Army tried to recruit nearby settlements including Brickyard, Junk Yard, Marsh and Pop-Up, Tilson was doing some recruiting himself, he had convinced The Wexlers and The Hanleys to join his family into defecting to Tunnel-Through. The three families had left most of their belongings behind, planning to return once Haven was part of Judge Ramsey's Empire. Having gone to Tunnel-Through and informing Judge Ramsey of the U.S. Army's plans to immediately attack, he accompanied the Judge half a mile West of the N.A.R.'s town to watch and then flank the U.S. Army's assault. Due to Tilson's advice, Ramsey and a group of Regulators managed to successfully flank the U.S. Army's command post, killing Captain Kawecki and winning the First Battle for Tunnel-Through. Tilson had expected to walk into Haven and assume leadership but the Regulators failed to rout the survivors after being massacred chasing those fleeing on a bridge. Kosmo had also survived and had strategically protected the town with fortified heavy weapon positions. Judge Ramsey was planning to destroy Haven and the settlements that had participated on the assault on Tunnel-Through, when he received intelligence that a large Chimeran force were chasing a a man and his dog, who were making a beeline straight to Tunnel-Through. The man, Joseph Capelli, had been living in Haven with Tilson and had participated with the losing side of the first battle, Capelli planned to lead a large Chimeran army to destroy Tunnel-Through. As the hill in which Tunnel-Through was located underneath was being bombed by Chimeran Fighters and with reports of ten or twelve Stalkers approaching from the North and West, Ramsey decided to gather his Regulators and evacuate to Shipdown on the locomotive hidden in the tunnel. As Tilson fled with Ramsey and the Regulators in the locomotive, Capelli who had manned an Attack Drone destroyed the back half of the train. The Regulators decided to flee on horses, as they were saddling up, Tilson pointed out that there was not a horse for him and asked Judge Ramsey what should he do. The Judge replied "die" and betrayed Tilson by shooting him in the chest, killing him instantly. Appearance Tilson has thick black hair and a dark five-o'clock shadow. Category:Resistance: A Hole in the Sky Characters Category:Human Category:New American Republic